left, I didn’t think I was going to make it. It was a nightmare for me. A seven month long nightmare. It felt worse than death for me. And you’re asking me to leave him?”
“Yes!” her mother said. “His chickens have come home to roost. He’s bad news, Katrina!”
“No, he’s not. I reject that out of hand! Reno is not bad news. He’s a great man. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. That’s what he is. The best thing.”
“No, he’s not. I reject that out of hand! Reno is not bad news. He’s a great man. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. That’s what he is. The best thing.”
Trina exhaled, to calm herself back down. “I know you mean wel, Mama, and I know y’al love me and al that. But you are so wasting your time. I’m not about to leave Reno. No way. No how.”
Cecil and Earnestine stared at their daughter, wondering whatever happened to that innocent, but always headstrong little girl they used to know. And then realizing, Cecil more than Earnestine, that she was stil the same person, just the grown-up, mature, experienced version.
And Reno, in the bedroom, was wide awake in bed. Through the paper-thin wals he had heard every word. And it was stil tearing him up a little more inside. Because no matter how much he knew he couldn’t go along with the Hathaways’ advice, he couldn’t disagree with it, either.
He closed his eyes. Ashamed.
Tommy’s Bentley made its way up to the drive-through window at Starbucks, paid for a half-caff latte, and took a slow drive through downtown Seattle. He sipped his coffee, listened to Nely Furtado on his stereo, and pressed the button on his car phone.
Reno, who had falen back asleep after the heated conversation between Trina and her parents had ebbed, answered his ringing cel phone.
“This better be necessary,” Reno said on the other end, and Tommy smiled. Reno was a lot of great things, but an early bird wasn’t one of them. Probably because he often didn’t go to bed until the wee hours of the morning.
“Rise and shine my man,” Tommy said.
“Up yours, Tommy,” Reno replied.
Tommy laughed.
“What the hel time is it anyway?”
“Ten am. Daytime.”
Reno yarned. His voice raspy. “How you doing?”
“I’l live. It’s you I’ve been worried about. How’s everything going? How’s Tree?”
There was a hesitation on Reno’s part. Could be because he was just waking up, although Tommy suspected more. “It’s tough,” Reno admitted. “What can I say? But it’s al right. I’l be glad to get her out of Dodge.”
“I hear that.”
“So how you doing?” Reno asked again.
“I’m doing okay, why are you asking me that again?”
“Because you don’t sound okay.”
“Can’t help how I sound to your sleepy ears.”
“Al right, al right, who is it?”
“Pardon?”
“Pardon? What’s pardon? You and your manners, geez. Who is it this time? Which one of your females got your ass in a twist this morning?”
Shawna’s beautiful face, turned toward the sunlight, flashed before Tommy’s eyes. He sipped his latte, blew through a yelow light. “Who says it’s a female?”
“You need to settle down, Tommy.”
“Here we go.”
“You aren’t getting any younger. You should be tired of playing the field.”
“Give Trina my love.”
Reno laughed. “Okay, I’l stay out of your business. You can dish it but you can’t take it.”
“You don’t tel me your sad stories,” Tommy said, “and I won’t tel you mine.”
“Ah, so it’s like that?”
“Exactly like that. But realy, how’s Trina getting along?”
“Better than me, I think. She’s a strong lady.”
“I told you so. I just hope you aren’t sitting around beating yourself up, Reno. What’s done is done. Tree understands that. You need to.”
“I wil. Especialy after this funeral. After I can get this whole thing sorted out. I’m puling out hairs trying to figure this shit out, Tommy.”
“Stop trying. Just
“Yes!” her mother said. “His chickens have come home to roost. He’s bad news, Katrina!”
“No, he’s not. I reject that out of hand! Reno is not bad news. He’s a great man. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. That’s what he is. The best thing.”
“No, he’s not. I reject that out of hand! Reno is not bad news. He’s a great man. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. That’s what he is. The best thing.”
Trina exhaled, to calm herself back down. “I know you mean wel, Mama, and I know y’al love me and al that. But you are so wasting your time. I’m not about to leave Reno. No way. No how.”
Cecil and Earnestine stared at their daughter, wondering whatever happened to that innocent, but always headstrong little girl they used to know. And then realizing, Cecil more than Earnestine, that she was stil the same person, just the grown-up, mature, experienced version.
And Reno, in the bedroom, was wide awake in bed. Through the paper-thin wals he had heard every word. And it was stil tearing him up a little more inside. Because no matter how much he knew he couldn’t go along with the Hathaways’ advice, he couldn’t disagree with it, either.
He closed his eyes. Ashamed.
Tommy’s Bentley made its way up to the drive-through window at Starbucks, paid for a half-caff latte, and took a slow drive through downtown Seattle. He sipped his coffee, listened to Nely Furtado on his stereo, and pressed the button on his car phone.
Reno, who had falen back asleep after the heated conversation between Trina and her parents had ebbed, answered his ringing cel phone.
“This better be necessary,” Reno said on the other end, and Tommy smiled. Reno was a lot of great things, but an early bird wasn’t one of them. Probably because he often didn’t go to bed until the wee hours of the morning.
“Rise and shine my man,” Tommy said.
“Up yours, Tommy,” Reno replied.
Tommy laughed.
“What the hel time is it anyway?”
“Ten am. Daytime.”
Reno yarned. His voice raspy. “How you doing?”
“I’l live. It’s you I’ve been worried about. How’s everything going? How’s Tree?”
There was a hesitation on Reno’s part. Could be because he was just waking up, although Tommy suspected more. “It’s tough,” Reno admitted. “What can I say? But it’s al right. I’l be glad to get her out of Dodge.”
“I hear that.”
“So how you doing?” Reno asked again.
“I’m doing okay, why are you asking me that again?”
“Because you don’t sound okay.”
“Can’t help how I sound to your sleepy ears.”
“Al right, al right, who is it?”
“Pardon?”
“Pardon? What’s pardon? You and your manners, geez. Who is it this time? Which one of your females got your ass in a twist this morning?”
Shawna’s beautiful face, turned toward the sunlight, flashed before Tommy’s eyes. He sipped his latte, blew through a yelow light. “Who says it’s a female?”
“You need to settle down, Tommy.”
“Here we go.”
“You aren’t getting any younger. You should be tired of playing the field.”
“Give Trina my love.”
Reno laughed. “Okay, I’l stay out of your business. You can dish it but you can’t take it.”
“You don’t tel me your sad stories,” Tommy said, “and I won’t tel you mine.”
“Ah, so it’s like that?”
“Exactly like that. But realy, how’s Trina getting along?”
“Better than me, I think. She’s a strong lady.”
“I told you so. I just hope you aren’t sitting around beating yourself up, Reno. What’s done is done. Tree understands that. You need to.”
“I wil. Especialy after this funeral. After I can get this whole thing sorted out. I’m puling out hairs trying to figure this shit out, Tommy.”
“Stop trying. Just
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